Telescope: Astro-Tech 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien, Orion Atlas EQ-G
Camera: Canon EOS Ra, Baader Mk III MPCC
Filter: Orion Imaging Skyglow Filter
Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, Starlight Xpress Super Star, PHD2
Exposure: 20x120sec, ISO 800, saved as RAW
Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)
Flats: 32×1/125sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk
Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, poor transparency
Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0
Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip.
White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic
Software: Backyard EOS, Deep Sky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop
NGC 253 is a large, beautiful spiral galaxy located in the faint southern constellation of Sculptor. Although it is one of the brightest galaxies in the sky, it is so far south that it is relatively difficult from mid-northern latitudes. From my backyard it never gets much higher than about 25 degrees above the southern horizon where skyglow is always a challenge. On this particular evening the transparency was really bad and I gave this a try just for yucks. I was very surprised that it turned out as well as it did.
NGC 253 is currently low in the southwest at sunset.
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